Daddy?
by GataFairy and rukimakino
Summary: Ruki’s father is… (complete)
1. Pictures and Secrets

**A/N:** We don't own Digimon. We just… like it very much. ^. ^; Gorsh… We can be scary together… Oh, and, this is AU. So don't expect this following through with the series in any way.

_—rukimakino and GataFairy, the dangerous duet! _

**Daddy?  
Chapter 1: Pictures and Secrets**

Makino Ruki's violet eyes focused on the picture of her mother at her high school dance. She was standing close, very close, to a tall blonde teen boy. Scribbled on the paper below the page, in her mother's handwriting, was a comment on the picture: _"Mitsuo and I, high school dance." 'Who's Mitsuo? He sort of looks familiar…'_ Ruki thought.

Turning the page, her eyes fell on a picture of her mother and Mitsuo kissing. No writing below it except _"No comments needed."_

A small smile appeared on Ruki's lips. Further and further into the album she looked until she came upon a picture of her mother, apparently that same year. It was ripped on the left side. The ten-year-old turned the page and saw a picture of Mitsuo, ripped on the right side. _"His name is Yamaki, and I never want to see him again!"_ Ruki's brow furrowed. She wondered what could've happened to make her mother make such a decision. She looked so happy with him a few pages back…

Ruki closed the book, leaving her fingers in it as bookmarks as she walked to Makino Rumiko's room. Sliding the door open with her free hand, she allowed herself to go into her mother's room. They had grown closer now that Ruki wasn't so cold to her.

"Mom?" Ruki asked.

"Yes, dear?" Rumiko asked, smiling softly at her redhead daughter.

Ruki walked to her mother and knelt down beside her, opening the photo album on the floor. She pointed to the picture of her and Mitsuo standing together.

"Who is that?" she asked.

Rumiko frowned slightly and let out a hummed sigh. "That's… He was working with decorations… um… We… asked a few people that had graduated years ago from the same school to come help decorate. He was early… months early… and…" She smiled at Ruki; the girl's eyes were alert. "I liked him. You'll know what that's like someday."

Ruki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah…" She turned to the next page, skipping the picture of Rumiko and Mitsuo kissing, heading straight for the broken ones. "Why are these two pictures broken?" she asked, turning the pages for her mother to see them both.

Rumiko didn't hide an angry look. "That's… That's something you may not understand now—"

"_Mom!_" Ruki interrupted sternly. She retracted, knowing she was being rude, and continued more respectfully. "Mom, I want to know. He seems so nice… and you were happy in the other pictures…"

Rumiko sighed heavily.

"All right," she said. "He and I… well… We liked each other, but his parents didn't exactly want that. They'd… I think 'chosen someone for him' is the right way to say it. Anyway, I was so mad at him for not doing what he wanted…" She let out a shaky sigh. "I haven't heard from him since then."

Just then, the phone rang, before Ruki had a chance to ask another question. The girl excused herself and went to answer the phone.

"Moshi moshi, Makino residence," Ruki "greeted" in a monotone voice.

"Hi, Ruki. This is Lee."

"So I noticed," replied Ruki with a hint of sarcasm.

"Listen, there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to see uh— this play. Well, that is, if you _want_ to. It's about a man who murders someone, but the police doesn't know who he is. It's called _Death Penalty_."

Ruki thought for a moment, then asked, "When?"

"This Sunday at eight PM," Lee said.

"Okay, I'll see if Mom will let me go. I'll call you back. Ja." Ruki hung up the phone, a little happier after Lee called.

Ruki asked her mother if she could go, and, of course, Rumiko became all excited about her daughter's first date. Ruki rolled her eyes and said, "Mom, this isn't a date. We're just going to see a play."

The blonde rolled her eyes, mocking her daughter, and said, "Riiiight. Exactly what I said to your grandmother when I went out on _my_ first date."

Ruki couldn't help laughing at that remark. The smile didn't seem to want to leave as she dialed Lee's number.


	2. Interference of a Good Night

**A/N:** We don't own Digimon. We just… like it very much. ^. ^; Gorsh… We can be scary together… Oh, and, this is AU. So don't expect this following through with the series in any way.

_—rukimakino and GataFairy, the dangerous duet! _

**Daddy?  
Chapter 2: Interference of a Good Night**

On Sunday afternoon, Rumiko was just about to ask Ruki if she'd like to go to the mall with her, but remembered the girl's "date." Instead, she walked to Ruki's bedroom and opened the door. She saw Ruki looking through her closet and picking out various clothes. Rumiko cleared her throat, and Ruki jerked her head in surprise.

The blonde was smiling as she said, "I thought this wasn't a date, Ruki."

Ruki pouted and replied, "It's _not_."

Rumiko tried to suppress a giggle, but couldn't help it.

"Then why are you looking through your closet for the perfect outfit?" she challenged.

Ruki sighed and said, "Okay. I give up. You win. What should I wear, dear model-for-a-mother?"

Rumiko walked to the closet and looked inside to see what would look nice for her daughter. After a while (which was a pretty long while), she found the perfect clothes fit for the occasion. Ruki tried on (after many other try-outs) a white (with pastel green swirls spread about it) tank top and a knee-length pastel green skirt with emerald green swirls spread about it also. Ruki's hair was down and she had a white hair band holding her long, red hair back. Finally, she wore white sneakers for the finishing touches. Rumiko stared with awe at her beautiful daughter, head to toe.

Ruki wasn't really used to wearing skirts or dresses, but she was glad that her mother was smiling, and not sad like a few days ago.

***

It was now six fifty PM, and Ruki was getting the jitters. Butterflies grew in her stomach and she started feeling sick. Suddenly, she remembered that she forgot to call Lee! She ran to get the phone, dialed his number, and waited for someone to pick up. After three rings, someone picked up. But it wasn't Jianliang.

"Moshi moshi, Lee residence," said the voice.

Ruki's heart sank. It was Jian's older sister. She asked, "Is Jianliang there?"

The voice demanded, "Who is this?"

"Ruki, his friend."

"Oh…Jianliang went over some friends' house. I think he mentioned something about seeing a play with some friends."

Ruki started to think positively and said, "Okay. Sayonara!"

She hung up, spirits lifting by the minute. Ruki walked outside and waited by the outer gate. After a few minutes, she started to grow bored. She sat down and looked at the floor, thinking intently. Just when she had lost all hope, someone tapped her shoulder. Ruki looked up to see Lee smiling.

"I see you're ready."

Ruki stood up quickly, ignoring his outstretched hand. She wiped her skirt; Lee gawked at her. He complimented, "You look…kawaii?"

Ruki furrowed her brows and snapped back, "And you look…" Ruki noticed the dark-haired boy was wearing teal blue shorts and a white tank top over a lime green shirt. He also wore brown sandals.

"Okay. When are we leaving? Doesn't the show start at seven thirty?" she continued.

Lee smiled. "Don't we look like we're going to the beach?"

Ruki wasn't all that happy. After waiting all that afternoon for Jian, all he said was, "Don't we look like we're going to the beach?" instead of "Let's go, we're going to be late!"

He seemed happier, even though there was a chance they might not get seats. Finally, they set out to Downtown West Shinjuku.

***

By the time Ruki and Lee arrived at the theater, it was almost seven fifty PM, just in time to get last-minute tickets (because Lee hadn't bought them ahead of time). They were lucky that they had gotten some seats, even though they were sort of far away from the play. As the lights went out, butterflies started to form in Ruki's stomach again. She began to feel light-headed, but still she watched. By the time it was intermission (the play was two hours long), Ruki felt very sick.

At intermission, Ruki ran to the lady's washroom. As soon as she closed the stall door, she puked in the toilet. She haddn't known that she would actually be sick— she'd only expected being a little nervous. Apparently she wasn't well. And when she finally walked out of the washroom, Lee was standing outside, looking worried.

"Are you okay, Ruki?" he asked.

Ruki swayed a little and held her head. She replied, "Iie, Jian."

The boy wrapped a comforting around Ruki, so she wouldn't fall. Unfortunately, she took the gesture as offensive, and pushed his arm away.

"I don't need help, Lee Jianliang. Just go back and watch the play. I'm going home."

Ruki started to walk towards the exit (which was near the washrooms), but was intercepted by a concerned Lee.

"Ruki, I think it'll be better if I go along with you, so you don't end up stumbling somewhere and getting hurt," he said with concern.

Ruki ignored him and said a little more politely, "That's okay, Jian. I can manage getting home. I'll call you later. Ja ne."

With that, Ruki walked, or rather, stumbled towards the exit. Lee tried not to punish himself for not walking her home, and it passed. The intermission was almost over; Lee hurried back towards the auditorium.

Meanwhile, Ruki was still stumbling while holding her head because of a headache that started to form, right after she had thrown up. What was supposed to be the best day of her entire life now turned miserable. For some unknown reason, she passed a bakery that seemed to look familiar, but she had such a painful headache, she couldn't recognize anything more. After a long walk going nowhere, Ruki collapsed on the ground with a thud. Little did she know that she was in the park near Guilmon's shack.

Lots of couples were outside on that beautiful summer night. One couple was Yamaki Mitsuo and Ootori Reika. After going to see a play called _Death Penalty_, the same one Ruki and Jianliang had gone to, Reika and Yamaki were walking down the path, hand in hand, when they saw a figure lying on the ground. At first, Yamaki joked about the girl being dead because a vampire had sucked her neck for blood (which wasn't a very good joke). But Reika was more serious. She checked the girl's pulse on her neck, and sighed, relieved that she felt a beat.

"I'll go get help," Reika said, already at quite some distance from the blonde. "You stay with her in case something happens!"

Yamaki waved to indicate that he understood. Having received his signal, Reika broke into a run and almost instantly disappeared.

He whirled his head back to the fallen Ruki. The girl was starting to move, groaning with pain. He knelt by her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Ruki supported herself with her elbows and forearms as she tried to get up. She didn't bother to answer the man's question. She moved back, pulling her knees under herself, and tried to stand. The pressure on her left ankle made pain swell and course through that leg, and she successfully managed to fall once more.

She frowned.  
"I'm not," she coldly stated.

Yamaki was about to speak, but his cel phone rang. It was Reika, telling him where to take the hurt child. He grabbed Ruki's arm after standing and pocketing the portable phone.

Ruki looked up at him with a scowl.

"Come on," Yamaki instructed.

Though not entirely wanting to, Ruki stood with his help; she was, however, unable to walk. And, again, though she hadn't wanted to or expected it, she allowed him to carry her on his back. She was tired and her head throbbed, so she leaned her head on his and sighed.

"What's your name?" she spontaneously asked.

"What's yours?"

"I asked first."

He barely laughed and answered, "Yamaki Mitsuo."

"Makino Ruki," was her quick, unthought reply.

He stopped at the same time she opened her eyes wide. She shook it off quickly.

"Why are you stopping?"

"You think it's easy carrying a ten-year-old on your back?" he asked, resuming his pace.

"How did you know how old I am?" Ruki demanded forcefully.

"Lucky guess," came the dry reply.

They walked in silence the rest of the way.

_'Does he know my mother? He _has_ to be the same Yamaki Mitsuo. He looks just like him, too! It's not some stupid coincidence. And I know that's why he stopped. Because he knows my mother. But how does he know my age…?'_ She involuntarily tightened her hold on the blonde's neck. _'No. Stupid Ruki, what are you thinking. I really _am_ sick.'_


	3. Cause and Effect

**A/N:** We don't own Digimon. We just… like it very much. ^. ^; Gorsh… We can be scary together… Oh, and, this is AU. So don't expect this following through with the series in any way.

_—rukimakino and GataFairy, the dangerous duet! _

**Daddy?  
Chapter 3: Cause and Effect**

At the local hospital, Reika was waiting for Yamaki and the girl to arrive. She sat in one of the chairs, in the waiting room, waiting politely. To pass the time, Reika read a magazine she found on a table. After five minutes or so, a man carrying a smaller girl on his back walked up to the receptionist. It was Yamaki and Ruki.

"This girl might have broken her ankle, and she needs a doctor now!" Yamaki cried.

The receptionist gave him a weird look but handed him a sign up sheet and a pen. Yamaki looked at the woman and said sternly, "This is an emergency. I need a doctor right away!"

The receptionist sighed. "Sir, you'll need to sign in first," she replied.

Reika walked up to Yamaki and tapped his shoulder. He turned around and saw her giving him a stern look.

"Mitsuo, just sign in. Do you know the girl's name?" she asked.

"Her name's Makino Ruki," he replied.

"Ruki, what's your phone number?" Reika asked Ruki.

Although Ruki was sleepy, she told Reika. Yamaki understood what to do and took out his cell phone. Reika dialed Ruki's phone number while Yamaki filled out the form.

"Moshi-moshi, Makino residence."

"Makino-san, your daughter is at the local hospital, apparently injured."

"What?! Who is this?"

"Ootori Reika. I think you should come over here right now."

"I will. Oh, Ruki!"

That said, Reika hung up. She sat next to Yamaki and Ruki, who was sleeping soundly on the blonde's lap.

***

A little while later, a doctor came to see Ruki. He guided her down the hall and performed physical exams and X-rayed her foot. Reika and Yamaki remained in the waiting room, concerned. When Rumiko finally arrived, she looked around the room, her eyes covered by sunglasses. Reika noticed the woman and walked up to her.

"Are you Ruki's mother?" she asked.

Rumiko looked at the red-haired woman and replied, "Hai. And you must be Reika."

Reika nodded.  
"The doctor's giving her a check-up and X-raying her foot."

Rumiko nodded and sat down on one of the seats. She noticed a familiar-looking man sitting next to Reika. She mentally gasped. It was her ex-boyfriend Yamaki Mitsuo. Behind her shades, she narrowed her eyes and averted her gaze to a magazine she found.

***

Some time later, Ruki came out with a brown cloth wrapped around her foot. She looked around for Yamaki and Reika, but then saw her mother, who ran up to the girl.

Rumiko was going to hug Ruki, but the doctor interrupted her by saying, "Miss, just put cold ice on her foot and she'll be fine."

"Hai," Rumiko looked at the nametag. "Suzuki-sensei. Thank you for checking her."

Dr. Suzuki smiled and said, "Dou itashimashite."

Rumiko held Ruki's hand while walking towards Yamaki and Reika. She said quick "good-byes" and exited the building.

***

When Rumiko and Ruki arrived home, it was well over 11:00 PM. Rumiko mentioned nothing about Reika and Yamaki. Ruki went straight to her bedroom and fell asleep without bothering to change her clothes.

The next morning, Ruki woke up when the phone started ringing. She tried to run out of her room, but she tripped on her skirt and fell on her stomach. Ruki's grandmother, Hata Seiko answered the phone after five more rings.

"Moshi-moshi, Makino residence…Oh, hello! …Okay…One moment, please. Ruki! Jianliang wants to speak to you!"

Ruki stood up and limped towards the kitchen. Seiko handed her granddaughter the phone and got back to cooking breakfast.

"Hello?"

"Ruki, where were you last night? I called four times, but your obaa-san said you weren't home," asked a worried Lee.

Ruki smiled, walked to the kitchen table, and sat down.

"Thanks for calling. I wouldn't want to worry you, but I had a little accident yesterday night," she said.

"Accident?" Lee asked, not hiding his shock. "What accident?"

"Well, it started out with me passing out in the park near Guilmon's shack," Ruki began. "Hey, I have a better idea. How about if you come over, and I'll tell you here."

"All right. I'll see you in a bit."


	4. Aftermath

**AN:** Finally, a change in AN! … The translations for any Japanese words you may not understand are in this chapter, below. We hope you enjoyed it…! If you've come this far, then please R&R. (That was NOT an intentional rhyme…)

_—we the authors_

**Daddy?  
Chapter 4: Aftermath**

Lee Jianliang made his way to the house built in an ancient Japanese fashion. The Makino house. A sense of peace came over him whenever he stepped past the gate of heavy wooden doors.

Ruki greeted him when he arrived. She led him out back, to the garden, not wanting her mother to suddenly burst in and make her ever annoying remarks about dates and the like.

"What happened to your ankle?" Lee asked after noticing that Ruki wasn't waring a cast.

The girl inspected the wrapped foot.

"Bad sprain," she said.

"Must've been some fall."

Ruki nodded. Silence fell over them.

"Hey, Jian?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I…" She struggled with the words and her pride.

Lee eyed her and smiled. He understood perfectly.

"It's okay, Ruki. I'm glad you're okay. I guess going to such a long play didn't help."

Ruki just shrugged; he couldn't tell if she was smiling or not. She could always count on Lee to know what she was thinking or feeling just by looking at her. She didn't know how he did it; she just knew he _did_ know. It was a relief, since she wasn't the type to say everything about herself. She was reserved, and he knew to respect that; that was his gift, and Ruki was grateful he had it.

"Thanks," she said.

Not knowing what she thanked him for, Lee looked at her in confusion. Their eyes met, both pairs sparkling. And before they could tell themselves not to, their lips met in a short kiss.

Unbeknownst to them, Rumiko was watching from afar. She smiled and hid laughter, shaking her head as she turned away. _'Like mother, like daughter.'_

After conversing for a while, Lee excused himself and left. Ruki accomodated herself on the futon in her room. She was on her side, thinking. It had taken an injury for Lee and herself to admit to eachother that they liked her. She had known, but had tried to push the feeling away, not wanting to ruin the friendship. Had he known, too? Had he noticed it in her? He was good with his gift, but was he really _that_ good?

How she'd hurt her leg was a blur. She remembered having a huge headache and barely being able to see because of it. Then she fell and passed out. She woke up and there was a blonde man with her. What was his name again?

The girl's eyes widened slightly. She'd almost forgotten about that. How had she let herself forget _him_? Her mother hadn't mentioned him when they got home. Now that she thought about it, Rumiko hadn't mentioned him at _all_. She didn't even pay attention to him at the hospital. That just confirmed the girl's suspicions about the two. They had met. It was him. But, just to be sure…

The redhead got up and went to the kitchen, following the smell of what promised to be a delicious meal. Seiko was expertly chopping some vegetables when Ruki arrived and sat by the table.

"What did Lee-san want, Ruki?" she politely asked.

"He, uh… wanted to know how I was," answered the girl

"That's nice of him. Your mother's very happy for you, Ruki, and so am I. You seem so much happier now."

Ruki smiled.  
"Thanks, Grandma."

For a moment, the knife hitting the wood and the boiling water were the only sounds that were heard.

"Grandma?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you… Um… Did… Did Mom ever know someone named Yamaki Mitsuo?"

Seiko's only slightly wrinkled forehead became more wrinkled when she frowned and looked up at her granddaughter after having stopped the cutting.

"Yes," she answered, eyes not leaving the girl. "Why do you ask?"

"Because… I think… Because I think he was the one who took me to the hospital yesterday."

Seiko frowned more deeply, her eyes filled with mixed emotions.

"What did Rumiko say? Did she see him?"

"That's why I'm asking. She saw him but didn't say anything. She just thanked him and that lady that was with him and left."

"He was with someone…" Seiko repeated to herself. "You should ask your mother, Ruki."

"No!" Ruki burst out. She didn't want to sound angry or mean, but she couldn't help it. "If she didn't say anything last night, then she won't now! I want to know. I know he's the same guy in the pictures because he looks just like him! The first time I asked Mom about the broken pictures she got angry and didn't want to talk about it. Then she gave me a really stupid answer she expected me to believe."

"What did she tell you?" Seiko calmly asked. She looked regal; she was standing up straight and her eyes looked almost fierce.

"She said that his parents 'chose someone for him.' Who'd believe—"

"That's the truth, Ruki. That's what happened. I don't know why you're so worked up about this. Your mother told you everything already."

"_No she didn't!_"

Seiko needed to say nothing. A simple glare was enough to make the young girl realize that her attitude was unacceptable if she wanted to talk about something, specially something like this. Ruki sighed and repeated herself:

"No she didn't. She didn't because I had more things to ask. The phone rang and I didn't get the chance to talk with her about it again. If I ask her now I know she won't tell me. So please, Grandma. Please tell me. If you don't… If you don't, then… then I'll have to ask him myself!"

"Makino Ruki, silence!" the older woman firmly demanded.

Ruki blinked and obeyed. She had never seen her grandmother this way. The situation really must have been much more complicated than she had thought.

"Ruki, what do you want to know about him? Why did you bring him up?" Seiko continued.

"I… I just wanted to know…" She looked up at her grandmother; the woman's eyes were now soft and kind, but still firm. "Grandma, he knew my age. How does he know that?"

The woman resumed her task of chopping the vegetables for the next meal. Still, her answer was gentle and sweet:

"Ask your mother. It's something you need to talk about with her."

The girl's eyes widened and her vision began to blur. Realization hit her and it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her. She got up and tried to get to Rumiko as fast as she could with her injured leg. It didn't take long, but it seemed like it did to Ruki. She slid open the door to her mother's room and found the blonde sitting on her legs on the floor, looking through a fashion magazine.

Rumiko turned her head in Ruki's direction and drew in a gasp. The rims of her daughter's eyes were pink and her cheeks were tearstained. The sight made her want to cry as well, but she fought the urge away as she stood.

"Ruki…"

"Why didn't you tell me?!!" the ten-year-old demanded.

"Tell you what?" Worry was etched in the concerned mother's face.

"You never told me who my father was!! This is the stupidest way to find out! I feel like an orphan!! I hate you!"

Rumiko shook her head.

"Ruki, I—"

"I hate you!!" Ruki repeated. She ran off, ignoring the pain and leaving the door open. Rumiko dashed after her. The last she saw of her daughter was the open door to the garden.

"Ruki, wait!!"

She ran too, for once not caring about sweating and ruining her perfectly blow dried hairstyle. She found the girl at the other side of the bridge that arched over the pond, hiding her face with her legs which she hugged and wouldn't let go. She was quivering. She was crying.

The blonde carefully made her way to the girl, sitting beside her when she crossed the bridge. She put her arm around the girl's shaking shoulders.

"Leave me alone!" came Ruki's muffled demand.

"Ruki…" Rumiko said as she rubbed the girl's back. "I'm so sorry. I should've told you."

"Shut up! It—It's too late for that now!"

Rumiko gently pulled her daughter's arms from her legs and turned the girl's face so they were looking at eachother.

"I just didn't know how to tell you."

Ruki sniffled and looked up at her mother's eyes.

"You could've just told me…"

She through herself into her mother's arms and hugged her and cried. She wasn't sure, but she thought Rumiko cried, too. But if the blonde did only one thing, it was stay silent and let her daughter express herself in whichever way she chose. She'd realized how special and unique Ruki was, and she was glad that it wasn't too late to start that beautiful and one of a kind mother-daughter relationship.

***

Ruki walked around the city that sunny afternoon. She was limping, yes, but she didn't care. She needed to think. She passed restaurants and the like, the smells drifting from them reminding her of the concoction her grandmother was working on at home. She wasn't looking forward when she walked, and apparently the same applied to the person Ruki bumped into.

"Sumimasen."

"Sorry."

The taller, older woman looked down at Ruki and gave her a small smile.

"Hey. You're Makino Ruki, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ruki replied.

"How's your leg?"

Ruki looked more closely at the woman and finally recognized her.

"Ootori-san! Hi… Um… It's okay, I guess," she said. "Thanks."

"That's good to know. Sayonara! And be a bit more careful, all right?" Reika started to walk away.

"Sure… Hey, wait!"

The auburn haired woman faced the ten-year-old.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Uh… I… I wanted to thank Yamaki-san for yesterday," the girl continued.

"I'll tell him for you."

"No." She looked a bit more firm now. "I want to tell him myself."

_'I must be insane. What was I thinking, asking to thank him myself?'_

Ruki had insisted on not going inside Yamaki's appartment. It was bad enough that she felt uneasy because she _knew_; being _there_ with _her_ there too wouldn't help. Now all she had to do was form the right words to tell him. That is, _if_ she told him.

_'Let's see… "Thanks for everything, Dad." Ew. Geez, no. "Thanks for everything. Oh, and, I know. You don't need to say anything else." No. That wouldn't work at all. "Thanks for your—"'_

"Walking this far already?"

The ten-year-old drew in a breath and turned around to face the tall blonde.

"Yes," she said to be polite. "…" No words would come out. She could notice tension in the air.

"Reika tells me you wanted to tell me something," he continued.

"Yes, I do want to tell you something," Ruki said. "Thank you for your help…" She finished in a low voice, "…Dad."

Yamaki lifted his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes as if squinting down at the girl.

"She told me," Ruki said before he could ask.

"So you're Rumiko's daughter…"

"Yes, I am."

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"I guess I'll just leave now," Ruki said and turned, taking a single step forward. "Sayonara."

"You don't really care, do you," Yamaki flatly asked.

Ruki didn't turn around.

"What do you mean?" she returned almost in the same tone of voice.

"It means nothing to you that you know who I am, doesn't it."

"How would _you_ know. You've only known me for a day."

"I suppose you're right."

Another lapse of silence.

"Y'know… Just because I barely know you-" here she turned to face him, "-doesn't mean I don't _want_ to or care about you." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she had a chance to think them over. But apparently those were the right words. They were about a yard apart. It hadn't really dawned on her who she was standing in front of. It was her father. Her _father_. Someone she thought she'd never meet, never see. Somehow, that filled her with a deep emotion, a deep respect, maybe even a longing to be there, to know him. To know _him_: her father. And giving in to that, she took a step forward and hugged him. She felt even more of that emotion when she felt him do the same.

"Daddy?" she whispered, eyes closed. "Thank you."

**Owari**

**_Translations:_**  
You've been lovely readers so you get translations!

Moshi moshi—hello; used when you pick up the phone.  
Sayonara—good-bye. (Like you didn't know that one).  
Kawaii—cute. Another freebie.  
Iie—no.  
Ja or Ja ne—short ways to say good-bye.  
Hai—you agree with a person with this. Sometimes it's just "yes".  
"-sensei"—literally it means teacher, but it's used that way with not just teachers and doctors.  
Dou itashimashite—your(you're?) welcome.  
Sumimasen—excuse me or sorry, in this case. If it's wrong, blame Nelvana or Pioneer because I(GataFairy) heard that in a Cardcaptor Sakura episode!

Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


End file.
